Judges 2
1 And an angel of the Lord went up from Galgal to the place of weepers, and said: I made you go out of Egypt, and have brought you into the land for which I swore to your fathers: and I promised that I would not make void my covenant with you for ever:
Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I had promised to your fathers, and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you,
2 On condition that you should not make a league with the inhabitants of this land, but should throw down their altars: and you would not hear my voice: why have you done this?
and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done?
3 Wherefore I would not destroy them from before your face: that you may have enemies, and their gods may be your ruin.
So now I tell you that I will not drive out these people before you; they will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.”
4 And when the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the children of Israel, they lifted up their voice, and wept.
When the angel of the LORD had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept.
5 And the name of that place was called, The place of weepers, or of tears: and there they offered sacrifices to the Lord.
So they called that place Bochim and offered sacrifices there to the LORD.
6 And Josue sent away the people, and the children of Israel went every one to his own possession to hold it:
After Joshua had dismissed the people, the Israelites went out to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance.
7 And they served the Lord all his days, and the days of the ancients, that lived a long time after him, and who knew all the works of the Lord, which he had done for Israel.
And the people served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, who had seen all the great works that the LORD had done for Israel.
8 And Josue the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being a hundred and ten years old,
And Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110.
9 And they buried him in the borders of his possession in Thamnathsare in mount Ephraim, on the north side of mount Gaas.
They buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
10 And all that generation was gathered to their fathers: and there arose others that knew not the Lord, and the works which he had done for Israel.
After that whole generation had also been gathered to their fathers, another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works that He had done for Israel.
11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they served Baalim.
And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.
12 And they left the Lord the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt: and they followed strange gods, and the gods of the people that dwelt round about them, and they adored them: and they provoked the Lord to anger.
Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger,
13 Forsaking him, and serving Baal and Astaroth.
for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
14 And the Lord being angry against Israel, delivered them into the hands of plunderers: who took them and sold them to their enemies, that dwelt round about: neither could they stand against their enemies:
Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of those who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.
15 But whithersoever they meant to go, the hand of the Lord was upon them, as he had said, and as he had sworn to them: and they were greatly distressed.
Wherever Israel marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them to bring calamity, just as He had sworn to them. So they were greatly distressed.
16 And the Lord raised up judges, to deliver them from the hands of those that oppressed them: but they would not hearken to them,
Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them.
17 Committing fornication with strange gods, and adoring them. They quickly forsook the way, in which their fathers had walked: and hearing the commandments of the Lord, they did all things contrary.
Israel, however, did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the LORD’s commandments; they did not do as their fathers had done.
18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, in their days he was moved to mercy, and heard the groanings of the afflicted, and delivered them from the slaughter of the oppressors.
Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them.
19 But after the judge was dead, they returned, and did much worse things than their fathers had done, following strange gods, serving them and adoring them. They left not their own inventions, and the stubborn way, by which they were accustomed to walk.
But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.
20 And the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said: Behold this nation hath made void my covenant, which I had made with their fathers, and hath despised to hearken to my voice:
So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed the covenant I laid down for their fathers and has not heeded My voice,
21 I also will not destroy the nations which Josue left, when he died:
I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.
22 That through them I may try Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord, and walk in it, as their fathers kept it, or not.
In this way I will test whether Israel will keep the way of the LORD by walking in it as their fathers did.”
23 The Lord therefore left all these nations, and would not quickly destroy them, neither did he deliver them into the hands of Josue.
That is why the LORD had left those nations in place and had not driven them out immediately by delivering them into the hand of Joshua.
